CHICAGO MEDIA ACTION ALERT: December 20, 2007
http://www.chicagomediaaction.org
There are two actions (well, ok, three) you can take right now to stop big media. The first comes to us from Free Press founder Robert McChesney -
(1) ACTION ALERT: Martin Votes for Big Media: Throw the Rules Out
Tuesday, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin and his two fellow GOP commissioners approved new rules that will unleash a flood of media consolidation across America. The rules will further consolidate local media markets -- taking away independent voices in cities already woefully short on local news and investigative journalism.
In 2003, the FCC tried to do the same thing, but millions of people demanded that Congress reject the FCC's rules. And they did. It's time to do it again.
We need as many people as possible to get Congress to reverse the FCC's rules right now.
Sign Our Open Letter to Congress. Then get three of your friends to do the same.
http://action.freepress.net/campaign/sbmopenletter/8e8wgd6406k3mbe?
This is about whether we will have access to the information that democracy requires. It is about whether or not we'll have real news and local voices on radio, television and in the newspaper in your town. It's about whether the public airwaves will represent our nation's diversity.
Earlier this week on Monday -- spurred by your calls and letters -- 26 senators from both parties sent a letter to the FCC Chairman promising "to revoke and nullify the proposed rule" if the FCC voted to lift the longstanding ban on "newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership." But Chairman Martin did it anyway.
Congress has the power to throw out these rules -- and if enough people demand it, they'll have to listen.
Take action now and spread the word.
http://action.freepress.net/campaign/sbmopenletter/8e8wgd6406k3mbe?
Some say that nobody listens to letters like this. Well they definitely do, and it's a way you can truly help the cause with just a few clicks. Sign on now -- and get your friends to do the same.
Your actions are making a difference. Let's keep up the pressure. And stay tuned -- this fight is far from over.
Thanks for bringing us this far,
Robert McChesney
President
Free Press
www.freepress.net
(2) ACTION ALERT: Give Tribune a Piece of Your Mind
Yesterday, the Tribune Company reached a new low with its editorial in the Chicago Tribune titled "Public debate, empowered":
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-1219edit1dec19,0,191955.story
The Tribune editorial is about the FCC's elimination of the cross-ownership rule. The editorial is a true piece of work in the Tribune's inimitable, self-reflective, Delphic style. It loudly extols alleged boundless virtues of the Tribune Company, the U.S. media system, and the present state of our democracy.
Yes, that's really what it says folks!
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-1219edit1dec19,0,191955.story
If the kind of blatant lying and propagandizing about big media in this Tribune editorial concerns you, Chicago Media Action urges you to use the reader comment box just below the article and give the Tribune Company a piece of your mind!
For more information about the media ownership issue, try going here:
www.stopbigmedia.com
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*** MoveOn.org has an action concerning the FCC's highly unpopular media ownership plans as well:
http://civ.moveon.org/mediaconsolidation/?r_by=11825-6752852-Fb1GEG&rc=paste
*** CMA's statement on all this:
http://saveaccess.org/node/1951
*** "The FCC's Twelve Days of Christmas" A video document of the December 7 CMA Singalong protest at the Tribune Tower (1 min. 12 sec.):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iksr_GRKArE
*** Bonus video - "FCC chairman Kevin Martin meets Mr. Monopoly" (12 seconds):
http://tinyurl.com/29mqce
And Happy Holidays Everybody!!!
*** *** *** *** *** *** ***
This is an email from Chicago Media Action, a Chicago activist
group devoted to media issues.
This newsletter is edited by Scott Sanders and Mitchell Szczepanczyk.
Chicago Media Action, P.O. Box 14140, Chicago IL 60614-0140
Call toll-free: 1-866-260-7198
Web: http://www.chicagomediaaction.org
E-mail: cma@chicagomediaaction.org